JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title : Care Assistant/Senior Care Assistant
Reports to : Nurse-in-Charge/Person-in-Charge
Type of Contract : Temporary

Job Summary

You’ll work under the guidance of a healthcare professional such as a nurse and your job will vary depending on
where you will be working. For example, in a nursing home or hospital you may:

• wash and dress patients
• serve meals and help to feed patients/service users
• help people to move around
• make beds
• make patients feel comfortable
• monitor patients’ conditions by taking temperatures, pulse, respirations and weigh
• do health promotion/health education programmes or activities

You will work as an effective member of the team delivering quality care.
You will:

• Assist in the provision of safe, effective person-centred, compassionate care.
• Assist patients/service users with fundamental nursing care in all aspects of the activities of daily living, as delegated by registered nursing staff, for example, washing, toileting, eating and drinking.
• Undertake clinical duties as required in the unit/ward which have been delegated by person in charge.
• Contribute to the general management/maintenance of the healthcare environment by performing a range of duties as defined by the person in charge.
• Ensure that all information regarding patients is kept in strict confidence.
• Respect the dignity, wishes and beliefs of all patients/service users.
• Obtain consent from patient/client for all care and treatment provision.
• Undertake clinical duties as required in the ward/department, which have been delegated by registered nursing staff which may include venepuncture, simple dressings, blood glucose monitoring and
  physiological observations. Other training in post and any other clinical skills relevant to the role specific to the area of practice.
• Report and where appropriate accurately record all activities undertaken.
• Encourage patients/service users to actively participate in their own care when this is appropriate.
• Identify if patients/service users are at risk and inform Nurse-in-Charge/person-in-charge and make a written/electronic record.
• Supporting the Nurse-in-Charge/person-in-charge in general administrative tasks such as photocopying, filing and dealing with requests/responding to nurse calls.

Skills and personal characteristics

You will:

• Deal courteously with patients/service users, and others with whom you come into contact in the course of your shift.
• Communicate effectively with patients/service users and others taking into account physical and mental state.
• Report any changes in patients/service users’ condition or behaviour to relevant registered nursing staff/person-in-charge.
• Ensure that all information/messages are passed onto relevant staff in an appropriate and timely manner.
• Where required make accurate and complete written records, for example fluid balance charts, behaviour/sleep charts.

You will need to be:

• caring and kind
• cheerful and friendly
• willing to be hands-on with patients/service users
• willing to do personal care tasks (washing, toileting, etc)
• able to follow instructions and procedures
• able to work in a team but use their own initiative

You’ll also need:

• communication skills, including listening
• organisation skills
• observational skills

Equipment & stock

You will:

• Assist in maintaining the cleanliness of healthcare equipment, storage and reporting of any concerns.
• Assist in ensuring stock and supplies are available and stored correctly.

Training & Personal Development

You will:

• Attend Induction Programme and participate fully in maintaining Mandatory Training up to date and other learning and development activities as required.
• Agency’s appraisal system.
• Keep up to date records of own development review process.

Health, Safety & Security

You will:

• Undertake duties that are required to ensure adequate standards of environmental hygiene and prevent cross infection.
• Report any accidents and incidents to relevant registered nursing staff and assist in the investigation of same.
• Comply with health and safety policies and statutory regulations.
• Contribute to effective and economic use of resources and the maintenance of all equipment.
• Work within own role in emergencies and summon help.
• Identify and report any health, safety and security issues to the appropriate person.
• Comply with placement policies, procedures, guidelines and protocol

Service Improvement and Quality

You will:

• Participate fully in all work place audits.
• Report all concerns and complaints to appropriate registered nursing staff in a timely manner.
• Work within the limits of own competence and responsibility and will refer issues beyond these limits to registered nursing staff.
• Act responsibility as a team member and seeks help if necessary.
• Contribute to the delivery of respectful and professional care in order to provide a quality service.
• Ensure all concerns raised with them are taken seriously and act accordingly under the guidance of person-in-charge and/Agency as appropriate.

General

Adhere at all times to placement policies/codes of conduct, including for example:

• Smoke Free policy
• IT Security Policy and Code of Conduct
• standards of attendance, appearance and behaviour
• Data/records management in line with the establishment; the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

This Job Description will be subject to review in the light of changing circumstances and is not intended to be rigid and inflexible but should be regarded as providing guidelines within which the individual works.